Thursday, May 24, 2012

Come on over to my way of thinkin'

My condolences to the talented folks who are losing their jobs today or taking pay cuts.

However, I would like to make a suggestion to the talented ones....start your own online media outlet. The worst thing that ever happened to the TP is NOLA.com. It didn't have to be that way but perhaps this is an opportunity to do it right. The ONLY reason people read NOLA is...well besides the Saints....the quality of journalism the TP staff provides. If that quality disappears, NOLA will be a big pixel puke of advertising with some Saints stuff thrown in. If Newhouse thinks it's time to cull the TP, I think the culled staff of the TP should start their own online venture and set about the task of culling NOLA.

Just my two cents.

BTW: If any of the TP folks would like to go on an apeshit rant, named or anonymously, I will offer AZ as your unadulterated canvas. Just email it to me or post in comment section and I will serve it up hot.

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

While I'd certainly be happy if that were to come to pass, I'm not totally convinced the economics of that could work out. It's hard to imagine someone doing a better job of online investigative journalism than you do, AZ, and even so you need to have a day job to keep the kids fed.

I think as a city we'll be much better off if David Hammer, Andrew Vanacore et. al. can find some way to stay full-time journalists. I'm hopeful that someone will step into the void, e.g., it's conceivable that the economics of a New Orleans bureau for the Advocate might work out and be able to hire a good number of the local top guns.

completely agree -- for the TP to partner w/ Advance Internet was a big mistake. as a daily its a shame then didnt see the value in owning their own online distribution channel. instead they are dependent on these clowns who continue to make the product as hard as possible to consume...and now that the daily business is gone, what are they left with? a crummy web partner.

I could see this electronic freight train a few years ago. It's happening all around the country. Here's the deal: news outlets, however they started initially (print, broadcast, radio, whatever), need to tweak the business model or it will be tweaked for them. They still have a commodity that people want and that's the news. But it needs to delivered differently with a heavy reliance on whatever electronic tools that are available - written word, video clips, sounds bites, whatever - and with more intelligence. Here's why: The electronically capable public will seek intelligent thoughtful writing, or they will simply surf and find it. Don't be afraid of a little analysis. Allow different analytical takes. Bloggers have their place but they can't do everything. They just add to the mix. Y'know? You squeeze in the ad dollar however it will fit. It's a new world. Embrace it or be left behind.

Anon #3: all that's swell. Unless you are my mother in law who is completely ignorant of anything with a www. in front of it, and further, approaching 80 is terrified by/has no interest in learning. She's used to her paper and her coffee and her obituaries.

OrUnless you're living in an area that has limited access to broadband either by virtue of accessibility or poverty. Someone recently sent me a message about the one laptop per child idea which is lovely only IF that child has access to wireless, or not even wireless, basic cable/dsl internet in their home, and I know it's a surprise, but there are some homes that simply can't afford it. Feed the kids food, or feed the kids information and have them starve physically while surfing. A tad overstated, no doubt, but nonetheless there are too many people who have no access to the keyboards, laptops, and smartphones that some of us use regularly.

That in and of itself is a choking down of information, creating a less informed voting public (already too many are basing their votes on one liner commercial ambushes), a less informed citizen on issues like the recent Hospitality Zone fiasco, or even such seemingly little things like a sale on beans at the Rouses.

Do we really want to cut out great swaths of our population, leaving them with little information and further marginalizing them? Unless you subscribe to the ignorance is bliss school of thought, this isn't a good idea.

Sam-I-Am-I agree with you that news digitization will leave some behind and that is not good. I am not insensitive to that happening. Howver, the fact of the matter is that news outlets are not subsidized bidnesses. Printing and delivery costs a fortune, and subscriptions and ad revenue are not enough to support newspaper across the country. The traditional business model for a print news outlet is not working. Period. What do you suggest? Have cake sales? Raffle? I suggest that heads needs to be scratched and the interested need to think creatively to resolve this issue. News is the hot commodity and delivery is the issue. Certainly there is way out of this with a leaner meaner dedicated and yes, electronic staff.